Practical Spring Gardening Tips!

A beautiful garden can add so much to your home. Tulips, pansies, and hyacinth add a pop of colour to your front lawn or backyard, and help fuel dreams of an early spring. Whether you love gardening as a hobby, tend to a prized vegetable garden that yields fresh and crunchy summer salads, or view all yard tasks with a mixture of dread and resignation, these simple gardening tips will prove useful! Read on for a list of easy and practical tips for your spring garden. (No green thumb required!)

1. Clean out your beds

This tip is a no-brainer! Before you get started planting anything new, it’s important to prep your flowerbeds so that the new plants will have a fresh start. This essentially involves digging out any plants that didn’t survive the winter, weeding, (try to get to the roots, or spray some vinegar to finish them off) and raking off excess leaves or debris. You should also trim off old dead growth.

2. Revitalize the soil

Once you’ve finished clearing out your beds, you’ll want to help your soil recover from the winter. Adding organic materials such as compost can help add moisture to your dried out beds. Adding fertilizer may also be a good idea, as it can help increase the health and longevity of your plants. For an aesthetically pleasing look, try going over the edges of your garden with an edger. You’d be surprised at the difference it makes!

3. Opt for perennials over annuals

This tip is for the less enthusiastic gardeners out there. Although there are plenty of beautiful annuals, perennials will amount to far less work. While annuals need to be dug out and re-planted every year, perennials can last several years. This also helps you save money on your garden! Some of the easiest perennials include peonies, salvia, and daylilies.

4. Mulch!

Adding a couple inches of mulch will help your garden retain moisture, as well as preventing weeds. Keep in mind that you may want to mulch after you have finished planting, to reduce the amount of work. You should also try to leave some space around plants so that your roots do not retain too much moisture and rot.

5. Keep new plants watered

After planting, you will want to keep a slightly closer eye on new flowers. Make sure they are receiving enough water, and try to plant finicky or sensitive flowers in areas where they will have some relief from the sun, especially if planting in late spring or summer.

Want more articles about your lawn and garden? Check out our other posts on outdoor living!